Riches in Disguise novel Chapter 287

We spent about half an hour there with the dog. After some coaxing, Riley finally agreed to leave the neighborhood.

When we stepped outside, I stopped carrying her and held her hand instead. Carrying her all the time quickly made me feel hot. Moreover, I wanted to take the chance to help her build some courage.

I wanted to help her relax and feel comfortable with the psychotherapist. So I took her for some ice cream first. Then, we spent about an hour at the amusement park.

Finally, I had Alan arrange for a session with a psychotherapist, Ava Harold. When we arrived at her clinic, I immediately had a good feeling about it.

Her clinic didn't feel anything like a hospital. It was more like an art space that was designed to make people feel at ease. Riley didn't resist the place at all. In fact, she thought we were just there to have fun.

However, it wasn't until I met Ava that I found the process of treatment difficult.

Ava said, "Mr. White, I don't mean to go against you. But before I treat Riley's psychological issues, I need to speak with her parents and obtain their consent.

"Since I need to understand the trauma she's experienced and how she reacted to it, I'll need to gather more details about her past from them.

"Once I have that information, I can create an appropriate treatment plan for her. So, I really can't just start treatment out of nowhere."

Her reasoning made sense.

I nodded and said, "I'm sorry I didn't think this through. How about you give me a name card for now? After I speak with her mom tonight, I'll have her come to you for further treatment."

With that, Ava immediately pulled out a business card. She wrote down a number on it and said, "This is my personal number. When I'm off, my secretary handles everything, so I don't take work calls.

"However, I can make an exception for you. Mr. White, just have her call me directly on this number."

"Thank you," I replied.

After putting the card away, I stepped out to take Riley home. I expected Riley to still be in the lobby playing with her blocks. But she wasn't there when I arrived.

My heart sank.